Regional Organizations Collaborating to Boost Area's Image in National and International Media
Regional Organizations Collaborating to Boost Area's Image in National and International Media
ERIE, Pa. (Mar. 12, 2008) — Representatives from six community organizations have been working together to boost Erie's image with journalists in advance of the Pennsylvania Primary on Apr. 22 and the GE Shareowners meeting on Apr. 23.
The region has been on the receiving end of negative editorial coverage in the New York Times and London's Financial Times in recent months, something the group is hoping to change. The organizations are also hoping that area residents understand that they too can have an impact on Erie’s perception when they talk about the economy and life in the region.
For example, while a recent New York Times article quoted an Erie business owner as stating that “[Erie has] lost every manufacturing job that we ever had,” the region’s employment numbers have actually grown by over 4,500 jobs since December 2003, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Other media reports have characterized Erie as a region in decline, yet recent investments tell a much different story.
Between improvements to the regional water system in excess of $250 million; major expansion projects totaling over $200 million at Hamot, Saint Vincent and LECOM; capital projects at the region’s higher education institutions; the $114 million Bayfront Convention Center; Presque Isle Downs and Casino; the Airport runway extension; Lake Erie Biofuels; the Tom Ridge Environmental Center; new hotel developments; GE's investment of $15 million into the Erie School District; as well as many other multi-million dollar projects; the Erie region has seen investment of over $1 billion dollars in recent years, according to Jake Rouch, vice president of economic development for the Chamber.
Erie’s image as a struggling rust-belt city is simply outdated, according to Jim Dible, president and CEO of the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership.
“Erie is one of the few places in the United States that can accurately describe itself as a college town, a manufacturing town, a healthcare town, a tourist town and the list goes on and on,” said Mr. Dible. “Because of GE’s growth in the region, Erie is also one of the few areas of the United States to actually have a trade surplus with China, the world’s most populous Country.”
Tourism in the region also continues to thrive, according to John Oliver, president and CEO of VisitErie.
“The percentage increase in the number of new hotel rooms in the Erie area led the Commonwealth in 2007,” Mr. Oliver said. “Equally as impressive, Erie’s 2007 year end hotel occupancy average of 64% is also second highest to that of the Philadelphia region.”
Over 12,000 people work in the County’s tourism industry with new hotels and attraction expansions planned for the near future, according to Mr. Oliver.
In the end, the group is hoping to use this and other information to provide journalists coming to the region with a fresh perspective.
"Unfortunately, these articles are often written by journalists who are in Erie for only a couple of hours, without the time or interest to uncover the positive trends and advantages of this great community," Mr. Dible said. "Often a reporter comes in with a preconceived notion of the region and is simply looking for a quick quote or isolated example to validate their angle."
The group working to offer a balanced image of Erie is made up of representatives from the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, VisitErie, County Government, City Government, the Downtown Improvement District and the Erie County Convention Center Authority. The team has been meeting since January to make sure that the region puts its best foot forward while in the national spotlight.
This includes downtown clean-up efforts, ensuring that transportation is clean and convenient, promoting good customer service to visitors and placing banners and signs welcoming those who are attending the GE Shareowners meeting in April.
Specifically for journalists, the group is also compiling a fact sheet on the region, with unique story ideas for reporters to consider and contact information for regional experts who can provide additional insight.
Not all of Erie’s recent media coverage has been negative.
Last year, CountryHome magazine, in conjunction with Sperling's BestPlaces, named Erie to its list of Best Green Cities in America. The study considered air and watershed quality, mass transit usage, power usage, farmers markets, organic producers and number of green-certified buildings to determine the top metro areas to live a green life.
Erie was also featured in a December Money magazine article regarding the market’s home prices that continued to rise in 2007, despite the property value slide elsewhere in the nation. Prices in the Erie metro area increased by 4.2% over the past year, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index, yet housing costs remain affordable compared to the rest of the nation.
"These are the stories that need to be told," Dible said. "Together we are committed to getting this information in the hands of journalists so they can begin to revise their impressions of the region. We can't always expect positive news, but we should expect information to be presented accurately and in the proper context. We all know the Erie region faces challenges, but we also know our economy is being transformed and that the region has a bright future."
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